


Petrichor

by aph_england



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, M/M, USUK - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-02 15:47:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5253977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aph_england/pseuds/aph_england
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur had resigned himself to the fact that it would be only ever be Peter, Jett, and himself after the divorce. He had never quite counted on meeting the love of his life on a rainy Saturday morning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Peter wasn't always a fussy baby, Arthur would swear it upon his life. Yes, sometimes he cried when he was hungry and he cried when he was tired, and sometimes he cried when his favourite television show ended, and he cried whenever he left his favourite stuffed bear at home, but he would fiercely argue that his youngest son wasn't a fussy baby.

Arthur had tucked Peter into his daytime stroller early in the morning and had forgotten to bring along Paddington when they went out for groceries. It was unlike him to ever forget Paddington, but between swaddling Peter in sweaters and blankets, and reminding Jett to wear his raincoat, he had completely forgotten about the raggedly old thing. Catastrophe was spelt out whenever they stepped out in public without the worn-out teddy bear, and Arthur was facing the repercussions of leaving him behind on the tube. Peter would let out a soft sob, followed by a hiccough, then a loud wail. He had already cried himself to the point of being near-breathless. The other passengers had long since begun to look extremely irritated, and he could just sense the annoyance radiating in waves off the alphas. 

"Hush, love," he tried to sooth, patting down his son's soft blond hair and cradling him near his chest. Peter's crying quieted to noisy sniffles, but his expression was puckered and he was threatening to break into another fit at any given moment. Even worse, Jett was beginning to become cranky at his side. It was far too early in the morning for the small four year old to be out of bed and he was grumpy. With his free hand, Arthur ran his fingers reassuringly through Jett's soft, light brown hair. His snuggly son pressed more closely against his side, temporarily comforted enough to remain quiet. 

Arthur was a single omega, raising his sons without a mate. The entire relationship with his ex-mate had been a mistake, possibly the biggest mistake of his life, and it had taken years before he found the opportunity break away from him. Peter and Jett had been the only good things to come out of that relationship, although his co-workers and neighbours had scorned him once they heard that he was raising his sons on his own. It was why he had decided to move away from England-- he had needed to escape everything that reminded him of his mate and to break off any last ties. Now it was just himself, Peter, and Jett, and although it was difficult, moving to New York had been one of the best decisions he had made in his twenty-three years of living. 

The two year old blinked watery blue eyes and sniffled. His face was wet with tears, dribble, and snot, and Arthur pulled out a soft handkerchief to wipe his face. Then he froze, because Peter's face crumpled and he started to cry again, just as they pulled to a stop. 

Other passengers filed off the subway with looks of equal exasperation and relief, and new passengers shuffled forward. Arthur was vaguely distressed, trying to keep Peter calm for the remainder of the trip, and it didn't help that the oncoming passengers walked past him with a look of distaste for not having an alpha to calm his son. He had to bite down hard on his tongue to keep himself from telling them all to just fuck right off. 

Arthur briefly looked up, heavy eyebrows drawn with annoyance, and accidentally caught the eye of a handsome blond as he was entering the subway car. He knew from his stance alone that he was an alpha, and he was an incredibly attractive one at that. Clean blond hair and bright blue eyes were the first things that Arthur noticed, almost at the exact same time, before he focused on other features, like a sharp jawline, high cheekbones, and a fine nose. Handsome broad shoulders tapered into a fine waist and trim, long legs, clad in well-fitting navy slacks. Arthur found the thin, red glasses perched atop the bridge of his nose the most attractive of all, as they gave the alpha a distinctly more intelligent appearance. He was rarely interested by other alphas and he didn’t consider himself a hormone-crazed omega, especially after the hell that he had gone through with his former mate, but something about this particular alpha one piqued his interest. He would have been _all_ over him as a teenager.

Although Arthur didn't want to admit that he found the alpha attractive, he was abruptly annoyed with his decision to go out in only his plain, oversized green sweater. He was very conscientious of the state of his hair and the bags beneath his eyes, and well-aware of the fact that his skin was looking particularly sallow and broken out with stress. He would scarcely consider himself handsome or attractive under good circumstances (and good lighting), let alone early in the morning, dishevelled after a long night of soothing nightmares and fetching glasses of water. His ex-mate had taken pleasure in pointing out every one of his flaws, and Arthur had looked at himself with the critical lens of a magnifying glass ever since.

He had very mixed feelings when the handsome stranger sat in the seat right beside him. It was incredibly conflicting to feel attraction for an alpha, particularly when he knew perfectly well that nothing could ever possibly happen between them. He knew better than to hope that an alpha would be interested in him, plain as he was, and he couldn't imagine a single alpha who would want to raise a child that wasn't their own. But he could smell the alpha's rich, alluring scent, and his knees would have gone weak if he had been standing. He was undeniably physically attracted. 

Arthur stubbornly focused on quieting Peter and ignoring his interest in the alpha beside him. He didn't even look annoyed by the crying baby beside him. If anything, he was watching with slight amusement. 

"He's cute," the alpha said after a moment of watching. He had a pleasant voice, just deep enough to send shivers racing down his spine, but sweet and high enough to sound youthful. "Both of them, really."

Arthur's head snapped up and when he realised that it had not been a sarcastic quip, he offered a weary smile of his own. He absently noticed that the other blond had dimples. "Thank you. He's not normally this loud, and Jett's not normally this quiet." 

"Oh yeah, I'm sure. Most little kids aren't." The alpha's eyes twinkled mischievously, but his smile was warm. "I'm Alfred, by the way. It’s nice to meetcha." 

"Arthur." 

Alfred repeated his name and Arthur nodded, unable to hide a smile at the pronunciation. It was so charmingly American with a hard _r_ , and it even sounded sweeter falling from his lips. Peter suddenly demanded his attention with an unkind pull of his hair and a loud scream, and he winced. 

"So, what's the little guy’s name?"

"His name is Peter," Arthur struggled to say, losing the battle with his squirming baby. He often missed the days when Peter was too little to do more than lay swaddled in his blankets and sleep. "He just turned two." 

"Looks like he's definitely starting the terrible twos."

"I wouldn't be surprised. He's a terribly precocious child."

Alfred laughed, a radiant, boyish laugh that caught Peter's attention. He stopped squirming at last and stared at Alfred with large, watery blue eyes, breath suspended in mid-whine. Arthur noticed all at once that Peter and Alfred had the same blue eyes and golden blond hair. Anyone who didn't know them intimately could mistake them for father and son. But a young, charismatic alpha wasn't going to throw away his chances of finding a good mate for a grumpy omega with two young sons. The chances of ever finding another mate were slim, if not nonexistent, and he was well-aware of it.

But that didn't matter, Arthur had decided a long ago. He had two sons and they were the most important boys in his life- the only ones he needed.

"I think he likes me," Alfred whispered in awe, reaching out to brush his knuckle over one of Peter's chubby, soft cheeks. Peter was quiet at last, and he broke into a babyish grin, revealing pink, puffy gums that were sore with the need for teething. 

Arthur nodded and gently bounced Peter in his lap, relieved that there was finally a distraction good enough to keep his attention for the rest of the route. His ears were still ringing with the sound of the toddler’s screaming and crying, and he cast a grateful look over his shoulder. "I think he does too. He rarely likes other adults, which makes this even more surprising." 

"I'm pretty good with kids. I like them, and they usually seem to like me back," Alfred said good-naturedly, pushing his lips into a funny, exaggerated pout. Peter's smile widened and he let out a babyish giggle, which naturally brought a smile to Arthur's face. 

Jett's green eyes cracked open and he looked at Alfred with sleepy curiosity. He would have been talking a mile a minute if it wasn't so early in the morning, and Arthur fondly swept the hair off his brow. 

"This is Jett, my other son." Arthur light placed his hand on his older son's head, before rubbing his small shoulders. 

"I’m sleepy," Jett grumbled into his ear, with a whine that sounded on the verge of tears. He buried his face into Arthur’s shoulder, fingers tightening their hold on his father’s sweater.

Alfred nodded sombrely and his bright blue eyes were wide and boyish. "It's way too early for me too, buddy. Saturdays are made for sleeping in, huh?”

Jett didn’t raise his head, but he nodded very enthusiastically into Arthur’s sweater, which only made Alfred laugh. 

The final few minutes of the ride had gone over smoothly. Arthur gently nudged Jett off his lap, standing as the subway pulled to a stop. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't think of the last time that an alpha had even bothered to get to know him and his children. It had been years since he had last genuinely enjoyed being in an alpha's company like this, and he was disappointed when he realised that their stop had already approached.

"This is my stop,” he said, just a tad reluctant. He hesitated a moment, before blurting out, “You're a natural with children. You'll make a lovely father someday." It was a compliment, but it was also highly inappropriate, considering that they had met scarcely ten minutes ago. Arthur's cheeks warmed and he ducked away as the metro pulled into the stop, shifting Peter to one arm, groceries on the other. It was heavy, but he could manage- it wasn't too difficult until Peter began to fidget and kick. 

"Hey, wait. Let me help you with that," Alfred offered with the sweet smile, lurching up from his seat and effortlessly holding the heavy bags to his chest. Before Arthur could open his mouth to protest, the alpha was gently nudging him forward with the lightest of touches on his waist. That single touch sent a thrill racing down Arthur's spine, but before he could focus on the warmth emanating from his hand, his attention was caught by something else. 

"Fuckin' finally, he's leaving," someone muttered from one seat over. Arthur immediately knew that he was the one being talked about, and although his instinct was to snap at the alpha to shut the fuck up, among other things, it wasn't the same anymore. He wasn't a young, rebellious, angry teenager who could pick fights with alphas and ignore the consequences. He had Peter and Jett now, and he could hardly jeopardise their safety with his loose temper. Arthur's cheeks warmed with an unpleasant mix of anger and shame, but he averted his gaze and shifted Peter closer to his chest, as though to protect him from annoyed glares. 

Alfred's reaction was entirely different though. 

"Hey buddy, you wanna shut the hell up?" His voice was abruptly sharp, and all friendliness had disappeared from the curve of his smile.

"The fuck are you, his mate?" the stranger sneered belligerently, his thin, cruel mouth twisting into an ill-humoured grimace. 

"I'm not, but I'll kick your ass for disrespecting him anyway." Alfred's glare was piercing, daring the other alpha to say something more. 

Arthur was completely taken aback. The tension in the aisle was thick enough to cut with a butter knife, and it seemed as though everyone on the cart had stopped breathing momentarily. 

The other alpha dropped his gaze first, which was an apology enough for Arthur. He reached out to lightly touch Alfred's forearm. "Ignore him, please. The bastard isn’t worth our time." 

Alfred nodded, the hard tension in his shoulders instantly easing. He followed as they walked off the metro, right into the busy, crowded concourse of the station. Blowing out a long-held exhale, he ran his fingers through his short blond hair and looked sheepish. "I'm sorry about that. I guess I got kinda defensive," he confessed, sounding all too much like a boy who had gotten caught and scolded for stealing from the cookie jar. “I _hate_ his type.”

"It's alright. I ought to be the one apologising for imposing like this. I'm sure you had somewhere else to be." Arthur bit down on his lower lip, expression clearly flickering with something akin to remorse. 

"I did sort of have an appointment, but it's not really that important. I can always reschedule or something," Alfred said easily with a shrug, smiling over his shoulder. "Really, I don't mind. I'd rather help you with your groceries than sit in some stuffy conference room and do nothin’."

"You really don't have to do this, I would hate for you to miss your appointment," Arthur protested, although it was a weak protest at that. He secretly wished for the opposite; this was the first time in several weeks that he talked to someone who wasn't a babbling toddler or excitable six year old. He was going to lose his mind if he didn’t have a decent conversation with another adult sometime in the near future. Peter squirmed happily in his arms and cooed, reaching a small hand over Arthur's shoulder toward Alfred. 

"I promise, it's not a big deal. Besides, Peter looks happy to have me along," Alfred laughed. It was only then that Arthur noticed Alfred's clean dress shirt and trousers, and he vaguely wondered how old the alpha could be. He couldn't be a day over twenty-five...which was why he didn't understand why a young, handsome alpha would waste his morning with a compromised omega. He wasn't exactly complaining though. 

"Thank you for _that_ , by the way," Arthur suddenly remembered to say, jerking his thumb over his shoulder with a warm flush. Thinking about the alpha on the subway still made his stomach flip with anger, but he was rational enough to let it go. And after Alfred's reaction, his pride had been avenged anyway. 

Alfred ran his fingers through his hair, tussling the golden, soft-looking locks. "Don't mention it. He was being a jerk. And since your mate wasn't there...." He hesitated a moment, the question in his voice clearly ringing out. 

Arthur immediately caught on, and bluntly said, "I don't have a mate." 

He awaited the scathing judgement and disgust that typically crossed the features of other people he told, but it didn't come. If anything, Alfred's expression was pleased, and perhaps even hopeful. Or maybe Arthur was hoping that his expression was hopeful.

"Oh, that's great then," Alfred said, beaming with relief, before his eyebrows crashed downward into a panicked frown. "I mean, that's not great! Like, I don't mean that it's a good thing that you don't have a mate, although that's not a bad thing either. I just meant like...I didn't wanna intrude." With an awkward laugh, he blew out an exhale and rubbed at the nape of his neck. "I'm sorry, I'll shut up now. I swear I'm usually more articulate 'n stuff." 

Arthur couldn't help it– he laughed. The alpha's flustered babbling was charming, and his embarrassed expression was priceless. 

"It's alright, Alfred. I didn't take offence," he teased lightly, balancing Peter against his left hip and walking down the slowly-crowding lane that led to the main street of his apartment, hand-in-hand with Jett. Alfred followed him happily, and the slightly awkward air that had been between them from the very beginning had dissipated, now that it was clear that he didn’t have a mate. Instead, there was an easy silence between them that felt natural, as though they had known each other for years. 

He normally didn't trust alphas. But Alfred seemed so genuine and kind and respectful, and more importantly, he liked his sons. He wasn't wary of him the way that he often felt around other alphas; he felt safe. His presence was soothing, for both himself and Peter, and he appreciated it. Alfred could very well be his first friend in years. 

Birch trees and white willows lined the streets, providing small patches of shade. The dark green paint of his apartment door slowly came into view, and the red-bricked building exterior looked well-kept in the cloudy, gloomy morning light. Alfred followed him right to the doorstep, before pausing and looking at him with poorly veiled disappointment. "So, here we are." 

Arthur looked at Alfred and weighed his options very closely. He was nearly soaked through, his golden hair darkened and damp with rainwater, and his expression was so wistful that he couldn’t dream of closing the door on him. At the very least, he convinced himself, it would be polite hospitality to invite Alfred inside to dry off. Nothing more and nothing less than polite hospitality.

"Would you like to come in for tea?" he asked without hesitation, even smiling shyly in welcome. He surprised himself with the invitation, and Alfred looked equally surprised, before his expression melted into barely-restrained excitement. 

"Sure, I'd love to," he beamed, leaning against the wall and waiting for him to open the door. Arthur found it oddly endearing that the alpha looked ready to burst out of his skin with excitement. Jett often wore the same expression, unless it was early in the morning and he was too busy trudging to bed for an extra hour of sleep. Arthur could barely restrain himself from rolling his eyes when Jett forgot to leave his rainboots at the door and tracked watery footprints down the hall.

The doorway opened into a small living room. It was sparsely furnished and fairly neat, although the centre of the room featured a fuzzy rug and several toys. There was no distinguishable scent of alpha anywhere, and Arthur realised with pleasure that his apartment would carry Alfred's sweet, clean scent for a few days, or until the scent faded. He wasn't watching where he was going and nearly tripped over a small wind-up toy. 

"I'm sorry about the mess. Jett loves to leave his toys lying around," he offered as an explanation, bending down to carefully sit Peter on the rug and move any toys out of the way. Often enough they were a safety hazard, and the last thing that he wanted was for Alfred to trip over building blocks and stuffed animals.

Immediately, Peter began to crawl and examine his toys, throwing them with energy and strength that wasn't always common in a small omega. Sometimes Arthur worried that he had been wrongly identified and would display alpha characteristics when he reached puberty. If he was, he would be in for a difficult time once Peter was older. The idea of an omega single-handedly raising a rambunctious little alpha was almost laughable, and Jett was exactly that. The idea of raising two rambunctious little alphas, Peter _and_ Jett, on his own was frightening. 

"This is a really nice apartment. It's way cleaner than my college dorm ever was. I think it might even be cleaner than my hotel room." Alfred laughed loudly, and it filled the room. It was a full, bouncy laugh, full of light and energy.

A wry smile dragged at the corners of Arthur's lips. "Well, that's hardly a surprise. I don't think I've ever met a tidy alpha." 

"I'm not that bad. It could be better, could be worse." Alfred cracked a lopsided, boyish grin. It was so decidedly charming that the omega wanted to smack it off his face. "I make sure to clean up once a week." 

Instead, Arthur rolled his eyes good-naturedly and stepped out of his coat, carefully folding it over the arm of the sofa. He tried to sound casual, but he was genuinely curious when he asked, "What sort of appointment did you miss?" 

"Business, sorta. I have an internship nearby and if they like me enough, I'll be hired in a few months time." Alfred rubbed at the tip of his nose and sat on one of the stools that was tucked in neatly beneath the breakfast counter. He was clearly distracted by watching Peter's playing in the living room. It felt oddly serene and natural for Alfred to be a part of their household on that Saturday morning. 

Arthur set the water to warm in the kitchen and pulled out his various canisters of tea. It was still early in the morning, just after eight o'clock, and his stomach let out a noisy rumble. The silence was comfortable but he was curious, and he stole glances at Alfred whenever he was certain that the alpha was distracted by his cellphone or Peter. Once their gazes made contact though, Alfred smiled brightly and stood, taking a step closer to the breakfast counter. 

"Is there anything I could help you with?" he offered, gesturing toward the eggs and bagels that Arthur placed on the counter. He didn't exactly wait for a response before moving beside the omega and easily slicing the bagels, popping them into the toaster with an easiness and grace to his motions that Arthur was envious of. 

"You can slice a few oranges." Arthur cracked an egg onto the hot pan, not realising that he hadn't used enough oil and that tiny pieces of eggshell had fallen in with the egg whites. Alfred clearly did notice though, and his eyebrows immediately drew in with concern. 

"Uh, how about I take care of the eggs? I can make a pretty mean cheese omelette," he offered, stepping in and hastily scraping out the egg that was already beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Arthur's hand felt warm where Alfred's fingertips brushed against his palm. The warmth lingered long after the brief touch had ended, and he found himself wondering why he wished that their hands could continue touching. 

Clearing his throat, he turned toward the bowl of fruit and carefully began to slice the oranges, before finishing and simply watching Alfred cook. The scent of tomatoes, onions, and cheese made his mouth water, and he abruptly realised that a cheese omelette was exactly what he wanted. His stomach let out another growl, this one much louder, and this time Alfred was close enough to hear it and look to him with a shit-eating grin. 

"Someone's hungry, huh?" 

"Oh, piss off," Arthur said, although he was clearly hiding a smile in his voice. The words fell naturally from his lips, but that response would have received a hard slap across the face from his ex-mate, if not worse, and the thought made his blood freeze in his veins. His smile wavered and Alfred noticed the change immediately, because he stepped back and his amusement faded into concern. 

"You okay? I swear I was teasing. I mean, it wasn't even that loud, and it was actually kinda funny." 

Arthur recovered from his sudden terror just as quickly as it had struck. "It was pretty loud. But that wasn't it. I was just thinking about something else," he reassured, relieved when Alfred took a step closer again and calmly slid the omelette onto a plastic plate. Alfred wasn't his ex-mate. In fact, most alphas weren't like his ex-mate. He needed to stop living with the fear of the past and learn how to trust again. 

The sudden noise of the bagels popping out of the toaster startled him and he jumped, which only further emphasised that he needed to stop being so afraid of his own shadow. 

Taking up a fork, Arthur neatly cut into the omelette and took a bite after carefully blowing on the hot food. The first bite melted in his mouth and he groaned in appreciation before he could stop himself. Alfred's smile spread just a bit wider, and he looked properly complimented. Arthur took another bite before bothering to speak. 

"This is certainly better than anything I could have made," he admitted begrudgingly, playing with a strand of cheese on the tines of his fork. 

"The fact that eggshells were caught up in the pan was pretty scary," Alfred teased, taking a bite from his bagel that was the size of two of Arthur's bites. "It's usually a warning sign that something's gonna give you food poisoning." 

Arthur's cheeks warmed and he grumbled, but he contentedly ate every last bite and almost found himself longing for more. 

"Where did Jett go?" Alfred asked curiously a moment later, leaning against the counter and taking up an orange slice. 

Arthur tried not to drown in those pools of blue. He was failing pitiably, and completely lost his train of thought. “He’s...erm, he’s upstairs. The poor love hasn’t quite gotten used to the time change yet.”

Alfred’s eyebrows lifted and he looked surprised, which wasn’t altogether a bad look. Arthur was simply far too distracted by the clear blue of his eyes. “Time change?”

“We just moved from London last week,” he explained, reaching for his mug of steaming tea. It was still too hot to drink, but he delicately lifted the teabag with his spoon. "I'm afraid the boys haven't quite acclimated." 

"Why did you leave London?" Alfred asked curiously, tilting his head to the side and cupping his square jaw in the palm of his hand. He was leaning against the counter, giving the omega his full attention. 

Arthur hesitated a moment, wetting his lips. He was reluctant to give the full reason why he left New York– it wasn't exactly a friendly, conversational topic. "Baggage," he finally declared, putting on a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Lots of baggage. I didn't want to leave, but I couldn't quite stay either." 

Alfred nodded slowly, understanding flooding his crystalline gaze. He licked his lips, and Arthur watched the small motion of his tongue with rising heat pooling in the pit of his stomach. 

"I get it. I guess I left California for the same reason. My dad's pretty well-off and he could probably pass off his company to me when he decides to retire, but I want to do my own thing. It's why I'm starting from the bottom– hitting the town as an intern." He laughed buoyantly, and the omega did too, although he was impressed by the steely determination behind his tone. It was unexpected, another dimension to Alfred that he was beginning to discover. 

Alfred's cellphone abruptly rang and he was startled, but took one look at the number on the screen and blew out a huffy sigh. "I have to go– that's my brother, probably calling to remind me that we were gonna go check out apartments in the area." 

Alfred stood reluctantly and stretched, clearly stalling before he had to leave. Arthur stood and walked with him toward the door, unable to hide his disappointment. 

"Thanks for breakfast and for...everything. I kinda wish that I could stay, but my brother can get pretty naggy." Alfred laughed, much more gentle than before, and shoved his hands into his pockets. He looked as though he was holding himself back from saying something, and just as he opened his mouth, Arthur interrupted. 

"Thank you for this morning on the tube. You really didn't have to help me, or walk me all this way...but I'm glad that you did." Smiling tentatively, Arthur drummed his fingertips against the door and said, "Perhaps we can see each other again soon?" at the same moment that Alfred blurted out, "Can I see you again sometime?" 

There was a brief pause as they both processed, before Alfred laughed and Arthur smiled with relief. 

"Here's my number," Alfred finally offered, pulling a pen from his pocket and looking for something to write on before Arthur offered his palm. His fingertips brushed warmly against the omega's, and he hoped that it was a touch that he would become familiar with. 

"Call me sometime, 'kay?" Alfred beamed at him, and Arthur promised that he would. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would call Alfred; it was just a matter of waiting the appropriate amount of time before calling. "I've gotta run, but I'll see you soon!" 

Arthur watched Alfred's retreating figure until he was out of sight before closing the door, vaguely aware of the small smile that had seemed to remain on his lips all morning, ever since he had met Alfred on the subway. His hand was warm and tingly, and he lightly traced the phone number that had been carefully written onto his palm with blue ink. He would wait a while before calling, he decided, despite the fact that he already wanted to see him again. 

"It looks like we've made a new friend, my love," he cooed at Peter, scooping him up and holding him high in the air before cradling him close. He pressed a kiss to that chubby, ruddy cheek before sitting back down on the sofa, well-aware of the warmth and scent that lingered where Alfred had been minutes earlier. Their apartment had been so full of life, and now that Alfred was gone, he was beginning to see that it was quite grey without him. Arthur had never realised until then just how quiet his flat could be when it was just himself, Peter, and Jett. They were noisy and happy and blissfully loud, but he was alone and empty in his own way. It was the epiphany of the morning, and he vowed to bring more light into his apartment, into his life. 

And even though Alfred had just left, he found himself hoping that it wouldn't be long before they met again.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur stared down nervously at the numbers he had written down on a small scrap of paper. He had all but memorised the string of numbers over the course of the last few days, when he would carefully tap each digit on the screen of his cell phone dial pad, before hastily deleting them all and busying himself with something else. He was too nervous to actually call Alfred, but the temptation to do so had been eating away at him from the very same afternoon that they had first met. 

Before he could allow himself to think twice about what he was doing, Arthur dialed Alfred’s number and tapped the green call button on the screen. The first ring of the dial tone made his heart pump at twice its regular speed, and he held his breath as the second and third ring passed. He was about to lose his nerve, hang up, and forget the whole thing when Alfred’s voice suddenly rang out from the speaker.

“Hello?” The alpha’s voice was loud and confused, and he sounded breathless, as though he had run to pick up the call. 

Now that Alfred had actually picked up, Arthur felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He cleared his throat, fearing that his voice would give way, and drummed his fingertips on the coffee table at his side to release nervous energy. “Hello, Alfred. It’s Arthur. We met a couple of-”

“Artie!” Alfred’s voice was definitely too loud then, and he pulled his cell phone away from his ear with a wince, although a grin was already threatening to break out on his face. There was no denying that Alfred sounded excited and enthusiastic, and it was inexpressibly relieving. “I thought you were never gonna call! I was scared that I had given you the wrong number or something. How’ve you been?”

Arthur couldn’t hold back his laugh then, although he certainly tried to maintain his composure. “I’m afraid you _did_ give me the wrong number, actually. I had to try calling dozens of different numbers before I finally found the right one,” he teased, smiling into his palm when he heard Alfred’s loud laugh on the other end.

With the same little smile, he stood and wandered absently toward the window to peer outside as Alfred chattered on the other end of the line, some cheeky retort to his teasing. The skies were clear, a break from the last few days of ceaseless rain and torrential downpours.

“--but yeah! You never answered though, how’ve you been? How’s Jett? And Peter?” 

Arthur cradled his phone to his cheek with a smile. 

“All is well here, although it has been raining nonstop for a while now and the boys are sick of being home. They’ve been quite antsy, especially Jett. You met him when he was rather sleepy and mild, but he’s really quite energetic. It’s a bit mild outside, so I thought I would take them to the park.” Arthur hesitated a moment and raised a hand to his mouth, biting on his thumbnail.. “If you’re not too busy, perhaps you would like to join us?”

“Yeah, I’d love to! What time do you wanna meet?”

Arthur worried his lip. He had to dress Jett and Peter, pack the baby stroller, and make the fifteen minute walk to the park. The trickiest part was always dressing Jett and Peter. “Will you meet me there in about an hour?”

“Sure thing! It’s the perfect timing, ‘cause I have a lunch break coming up. I’m looking forward to it!” 

A lunch break? Arthur blinked owlishly before understanding that Alfred had to be at work. Then the panic set in and he instinctively felt guilty for interrupting him from whatever business he had been handling.

“No, Alfred, we can meet another time if you’re busy!” 

“Nah, it’s fine! I have a pretty long break anyway, and they haven’t had me doing much. I’ll meet you near the park entrance, y’know, near that old statue.”

Alfred’s genuine enthusiasm was convincing. He gave in with an exasperated smile. “Alright, fine. If they fire you on the spot, I won’t claim responsibility though.”

There was laughter on the other end and Arthur matched it with a soft laugh of his own. “I’ll see you in a bit, Alfred.”

“Can’t wait, babe.”

After he hung up, Arthur stared at the blank living room wall and slowly blew out a long exhale that he had been holding unintentionally. It was difficult to process Alfred’s enthusiasm and excitement to see him, and his head was almost spinning- he wasn’t quite sure what it could mean. Perhaps Alfred liked him? That little term of endearment certainly had to indicate something, although it could have been a slip of tongue or casual display of alpha confidence.

It took another few minutes of contemplation before Arthur snapped from his reverie and remembered that he had to gather his boys. He could hear the sound of Jett playing with his blocks and action figures in the bedroom, and Peter’s silence meant that the tot was either napping or watching his older brother. Arthur made his way to the boys’ bedroom and lingered near the door a moment, watching the two play. He loved to hear the sound of Jett’s excited chatter and Peter’s childish, gibberish words. They had been too quiet when they lived with their father, too afraid to make any noise or laugh. Arthur never wanted to hear silence again.

Jett spotted his presence at the doorway and abruptly stopped playing, throwing himself back to lay on the floor. He was sprawled out beside his action blocks and legos, eyes closed, eyebrows drawn in a frown, and arms and legs spread-eagled among his mess of toys. If Arthur didn’t know any better, he would say that his son had fallen asleep, but he knew that Jett often threw himself on the floor when he was bored or exasperated. Crouching down, he swept the long, floppy brown fringe from Jett’s front and smiled at his son with open affection. He was met with brightly coloured eyes that matched his own.

“Are you bored, love?”

“Yes,” Jett grumbled with a childish pout, before jumping up and throwing his arms up in the air. He was ever the restless, energetic four year old. “You didn’t let me play outside yesterday or today and Petey’s boring. I’m bored!”

“It was raining, silly. I didn’t want you to catch a cold.” Arthur stood and winced as his knees popped. Walking in the park would do him well. “But it’s finally stopped raining. Do you want to go out to the-”

“YES!” Jett shouted, long before Arthur had even finished posing his question. He immediately slipped his feet into his little velcro sneakers and threw his arms around Arthur’s leg, clinging to him like a small sloth. “Can I get hot chocolate? I can share with Peter!”

Jett always offered to share with Peter if he wanted something. Arthur had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing at his very obvious ulterior motives, although he was happy to be raising a selfless little brat. Jett was so wonderfully bright, and although his claims to share were a pretense, he really was a good, gentle older brother to Peter.

“I’m sure Peter would love that, but you may have your own hot chocolate. It’s still a bit nippy out, after all.” 

Arthur immediately recognised the mischievous, hopeful gleam in his son’s eye. 

“Can I have extra whipped cream? Pretty please?”

How could he say no to such a polite request? Arthur laughed and scooped Jett into his arms, raising him up to press a loud kiss to his cheek. “You may, if you go put on your pullover and raincoat.”

Jett didn’t need to be told twice, and although his sweater didn’t quite match the shirt he wore under, Arthur could only be relieved that Jett didn’t pitch a fit about wearing a coat. 

Arthur turned toward his smaller son and picked him up with a soft coo of his name, cradling him to his chest. He was hesitant to take Peter out to the park when it was still cool outside, but it would be unfair to keep Jett restless indoors.

“Let’s get you dressed, my love,” he said, more to himself. He had once read in a parenting book that speaking frequently to children, even the silliest things, could promote speech development. Ever since then, he had always spoken to Peter the way he spoke to Jett. He liked to think it helped; Peter babbled fairly often, and the few words he knew were spoken clearly. “You need your onesie and sweater and socks, and I’m going to wrap you up tight in your blankets, and you’re going to be perfectly warm and safe.” 

“Mum, you’re using the baby voice,” Jett sang, and helpfully grabbed the diaper bag from Peter’s nightstand. He was thoughtful enough to drop it at Arthur’s feet, and he climbed onto the bed to impatiently watch his brother get dressed.

Arthur laughed under his breath as he changed Peter’s onesie and dressed him in warm fleece. He had once promised himself that he wouldn’t use a babyish voice when he talked to Peter, but Jett informed him that he did use a baby voice more often than not.

When the boys were finally ready, it was Arthur’s turn to dress. He hadn’t even changed out of his pyjamas that morning, and although it was _not a date_ , he wanted to look nice. He couldn’t remember the last time he had tried to dress himself up beyond a pair of plain slacks and sweaters. A short, warm shower later, he carefully dressed in a soft white polo, knit green sweater, and brown overcoat that flattered his small stature. There wasn’t anything he could do about his naturally messy hair, the bags under his eyes, or the blemishes of his complexion, but he felt much better than he had in months. 

Finally, he and his boys were ready to go.

//

Jett had become pouty when he was told that he would have to wait until after their trip to the park for hot chocolate, but he perked and cheered as soon as the neatly trimmed grass came into view. His small feet pitter-pattered on the concrete as he ran ahead and splashed into a puddle, much to Arthur’s distress, before pausing impatiently by the gated entrance to the park. 

Arthur wasn’t nervous, exactly, but he was certainly feeling more cautiously hopeful than he had felt in a very long time. _I won’t be disappointed if he doesn’t arrive_ , he chanted to himself in a mantra as he approached the park. 

“Mum, hurry up,” Jett whined, visibly vibrating with anticipation and pent-up energy. Arthur appeased him and walked a bit faster, and as they entered the park, he could see Alfred waiting on the bench beside the old figurehead statue, just as they had agreed. He didn’t seem to notice that they arrived, but when he did, his face lit into a smile and he waved with an enthusiasm that rivalled Jett’s. 

“Hey little guy! How’ve ya been?” 

Jett had run up to him first, and Arthur fondly watched as Alfred ruffled his hair with playful affection. He couldn’t hear what Jett chirped in response, but it was something that made the alpha laugh. The sound of it put butterflies in his stomach, and when he approached, he was already smiling shyly. 

“Hello again, Alfred.”

“Hey, Arthur.” Alfred’s voice was warm and there was a surprising softness to his gaze. “You look nice.”

It wasn’t often that Arthur believed the compliments that he was given, or even received any compliments at all. But Alfred sounded sincere, and although it was chilly outside, he felt warm. 

“Thank you. You look quite lovely yourself,” he replied in like, shy but earnest. 

Alfred was dressed as he had been before, clean-cut and respectable in fitted navy trousers and a neatly tucked-in, pale blue dress shirt that emphasised the breadth of his shoulders and trim cut of his hips. Rolled sleeves revealed an expensive watch, and Alfred looked so handsome that it was nearly unbearable. Everything about him oozed charm and appeal, right down to a desirable scent that was reminiscent of crisp pine, warm, spiced cakes, and rich coffee. 

Jett came running back with a handful of dandelions and an excited, thousand-watt smile. “Look at these flowers!”

Although Arthur wrinkled his nose and had opened his mouth to explain that they were weeds, Alfred matched Jett’s expression with his own bright grin and mirrored his excitement. “Did you know that if you blow away the dandelion puffs, you can make a wish?” 

He didn’t know that, and his expression of wonder and awe was so absolutely adorable that Arthur had to hide a smile behind his palm. He was endeared when Alfred showed him how to blow on the dandelion, and laughed when Jett wished aloud for a pet dinosaur. 

Alfred had laughed too, but his moment of silence before blowing on his own dandelion made Arthur wonder whether he had made a wish as well. After blowing away the rest of the dandelions, Jett clung to Alfred’s hand and began to drag him away, and that was their cue to start their walk along the scenic park sidewalks. After a while, Jett released Alfred’s hand to run ahead and frighten a cluster of pigeons. 

“So, what did you wish for?” Arthur asked wryly, walking beside Alfred at an even, easy pace. “I know you have to have made a wish.”

Alfred smile boyishly and shook his head. His eyes were bright with playful mischief. “I can’t tell you what I wished for. If you tell anyone your wish, it won’t come true.”

“Ah, that’s right. How could I have forgotten?” 

“I know it’s silly and all, but it’s nice to hold on to the little things like that, y’know?” Alfred kicked a pebble down the pavement and Arthur watched it bounce along into the grass. “ My brother teases me all the time about not acting my age or very alpha-like, but I don’t think there’s something wrong with stuff like making wishes on shooting stars. Being an adult sucks if you don’t allow yourself to have a little fun sometimes.”

A smile touched on the corners of Arthur’s lips and he nodded his understanding. But he was curious to know something he had been wondering about since Saturday morning. “Matthew says you don’t act your age, which would be…?”

Alfred caught on and grinned ruefully. “He says I act like I’m five, but I’m twenty-one. Matt just likes to give me a hard time because I’m older.”

Twenty-one.Somehow, he had expected Alfred to be much younger. Perhaps it was because he didn’t carry the overbearing sense of self-entitlement of every other alpha he had ever met, or because he was so genuine and kind that it was odd to imagine that they were in the same age range. Arthur could easily see how he was different from the typical alpha, although that was very far from being a bad thing. Alfred was just full of surprises. 

Besides, Arthur wasn’t the typical omega either.

“So, uh, what about you?”

Arthur blinked. “I’m twenty-three.”

“Hey, you’re not that much older than me!” Alfred beamed at him as he reached the same conclusion and let out a bouncy laugh. “I mean, I knew that you couldn’t be old because you look my age and you’re really cute. But you never know, right?”

Arthur was still trying to process that he had been called cute by an alpha like Alfred when aforementioned alpha was forcibly led away by Jett, who had become tired of bothering the pigeons and come running back for attention. He parked beside a bench to watch them play a while, and found it endearing that Alfred was willing to pretend to be a pirate. It made Jett happy and Alfred was laughing all the while, and Arthur realised then and there that he was truly lucky to have met someone like him. 

After a while, Peter began to stir from his nap in the stroller and Arthur pulled him from his seat, bouncing him in his lap and labelling the items that he spotted in the park. He was just beginning to learn how to say flower when Alfred and Jett came racing back to the bench. Alfred’s hair was out of place from dashing to and fro with an imaginary sword, and Jett’s cheeks were flushed from the exertion of battling pirates. Arthur stared at them both for a long moment, committing the picture of them to his memory, before laughing and halfheartedly scolding Jett for staining his trousers with grass. 

Alfred captured Peter’s attention and, with permission, carried him in the strong cradle of his arms. Jett claimed that he was too tired to walk and climbed into Peter’s seat. 

“Do you wanna go grab a quick bite? I have like thirty minutes before I have to go back, and pirates need their energy.” Alfred flashed him a winning smile and Arthur found it absolutely impossible to not smile back. 

The alpha’s scent had been heightened by his running around with Jett, and as they walked out of the park, Arthur was distracted by the potency of his intoxicating scent. Alfred was wheeling Jett in the stroller and Arthur carried Peter in his arms, which allowed them to arrive quickly to a small coffeeshop that the alpha had discovered earlier that morning before work. 

// 

They spoke over hot drinks and warm bistro sandwiches. Alfred told his story in between sips of a caffè Americano and bites of his panini, and Arthur clung to his every word, hands wrapped tight around a mug of milky earl grey. At his side, Jett was quietly recovering from his fun with a child-sized cup of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream.

“I studied astrophysics and aerospace engineering in university, but my dad wanted me to go into business like he did. I don’t really like business or financial stuff, even though I’m pretty good at crunching numbers, but I figured that getting an internship all the way out here would be way better than working for my dad.” 

“If you’re not interested in business, what do you really want to do?”

Alfred pursed his lips. Arthur struggled not to imagine kissing and tasting the richness of strong coffee on them. “I always wanted to work for NASA, ever since I was a kid. I mean, I have the degrees for it and I definitely sat in on a lot of astronomy lectures and I’ve always loved stars and space, but it’s kinda hard to get an internship there, let alone work with them.” 

Alfred looked so deflated that Arthur’s omega instinct to comfort flared strongly. Without thinking, he placed his hand over Alfred’s on the coffee table. The alpha’s fingers were warm from nursing his mug of hot coffee and his hands were large in comparison to the omega’s fragile own. “You worked hard for your qualifications. The least you deserve is to try applying to NASA. If it doesn’t work out, then you’ll always have this internship to rely on. But if it does, then you can work where you want to be.”

Although Arthur had been the one to bring their hands close, Alfred was the one to flip his hand and lightly intertwine their fingers. It brought a flush to Arthur’s cheeks, and he was sure that he felt his heart skip a beat.

The alpha seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a moment before he laughed. “Y’know, you’re right. I guess I can’t be that worried about being rejected from their space programme. Besides, how could they say no to someone like me?” His smile transformed into a cheeky grin. “ I’m handsome, intelligent, devastatingly good-looking…”

“Arrogant, completely full of yourself,” Arthur teased wryly, and Alfred laughed loud enough to catch attention from around the room, although that had already been happening ever since they had first walked in and every omega turned to fawn over Alfred from a distance. Although Alfred seemed to be oblivious to the flirtatious looks and too-sweet scents from the omegas in the room, Arthur had honed in on all the cues right away. 

_If they only knew that he’s just as lovely inside as out, they would be falling at his feet_ , Arthur had thought to himself. Secretly, he was pleased to be the only one in the room holding the alpha’s attention. 

Alfred turned to him with that wonderfully warm little smile and look of curiosity shining in his eyes. “What about you? I mean, I don’t know if you work or not, but what do you _want_ to do?”

“Honestly?” Arthur brought a hand to his chin and tapped his lower lip in thought. “I want to write. Before, I had wanted to be a kindergarten teacher to work with small children. But now that I have two of my own, it would be nice to be able to work from home. I’ve always loved writing, almost as much as I loved reading, and I wouldn’t mind writing a novel of my own someday.”

“I would read your book. I mean, I don’t really like reading ‘cause I’m more of a math and science geek, but I would read it.”

Arthur nearly choked on a sip of his tea and struggled not to burst out laughing. The statement wasn’t even that amusing, but Alfred’s doubtful, sheepish tone was absolutely hilarious. His lips curled into a smile against the rim of his mug.

“Props to you. I could never willingly do math,” he admitted, and chuckled at the alpha’s incredulous expression. “I always had the highest marks in English lit and humanities, but in sciences and maths...not quite.”

A short moment later, Jett slumped against his side and buried his face into the crook of his arm, fingers holding on tightly to the soft material of his sweater. Although Arthur was certain that the hot chocolate had had double the amount of sugar necessary, the excitement of playing in the park had completely tuckered him out. The only recovery would be a nap before dinner. Tenderly, he swept his fingers through the small boy’s brown hair and wrapped an arm comfortingly around his shoulders. A glance at his younger son revealed that Peter was droopy-eyed and sleepy too.

“I think this might be my cue to get the boys home for a nap.” 

When Arthur raised his gaze a moment later, he caught Alfred watching him with an unreadable expression. Although he couldn’t pinpoint an exact emotion in his gaze, something about the look made him feel warm inside. 

Alfred met his gaze and when he realised that he had been caught staring, the slightest hint of pink bloomed across his cheeks. He cleared his throat and checked his watch. “I should probably get going too. It’s 1:46 and it’s a fifteen minute walk back to the office…”

He looked reluctant to go. Arthur made the first move to stand by gently nudging Jett awake and standing. 

“Thank you for accompanying us to the park, Alfred.” Sincerity rang in his voice. “You’re perfectly welcome to visit us anytime. I enjoy your company.”

Alfred fidgeted with his tea and clearly seemed to be ill at ease. Arthur was just beginning to become concerned, especially when the flush darkened on his face, but Alfred recovered from his internal struggle before he could inquire. 

“Uh, I’m actually really kinda lousy at this sort of thing, but if you’re free...would you want to go out this Friday? Like, we can go catch a movie with the kids or go to the aquarium, or do something like that.”

Arthur must have looked as stunned by the proposal as he felt. When he remained quiet for too long, Alfred's eyes widened and he let out a terribly nervous, fake laugh.

“I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine too. I don't want to make things awkward. Wait, fu- _fudge_ , that didn't help, but…” Alfred trailed off helplessly. 

Arthur couldn't help it. He laughed.

“Are you always this articulate?” he teased, and felt his heart swell with fondness. 

“I swear, I usually am. I guess you just leave me speechless,” Alfred returned smoothly, and the omega’s laughter simply seemed to soothe his nervousness. A warm smile spread across his lips. “But I really would love to take you and the boys out. Is that okay?” 

“I'd love that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was totally a timely update, right?
> 
> I've gone back and changed a few little details in the first chapter, such as ages and location. I had actually considered rewriting this without Jett because I lost my nerve and I've never written a child's character, but here he remains. I also considered switching to Alfred's perspective, because it's oddly enough easier to write, but that didn't happen either. 
> 
> I actually have no idea where this story is heading, as you can see from the comments above, but I'll try to get the hang of updating punctually. A very special thank you goes out to everyone who left reviews; every single one is very motivating!

**Author's Note:**

> I probably shouldn't start a multi-chapter fic when I'm depressed as hell and have hundreds of papers to write, but I've been plotting this one for a long time ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


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